Are Youtubers and Instagrammers over-romanticizing the digital nomad life?

For over a year, I flirted with the idea of becoming a digital nomad.

You know — those people who work from their laptops via the internet from seemingly different, exotic locations around the world.

Think Bali, Thailand, Mexico…etc.

Oh, I bet you’ve seen some of them living “their best lives” on social media. Fruity cocktail in one hand. Laptop in the other. Sitting on a white sandy beach, towered by tall, green, coconut trees, dancing against the backdrop of sunny blue skies, and turquoise blue waters.

I’m almost certain some of you have encountered those picture-perfect Instagram shots of digital nomads living their best exciting lives in natural outdoor settings, as you languish in your reality of feeling caged-in, by your brick and boarded apartment or home.

I know the feeling too because I was there!

After living through the intensity of the Covid 19 lockdowns, I decided it was time to GO!

It was time to begin living out my dreams of traveling the world.

I had already spent the last 11 years of my life living in the United States as an immigrant, and I was ready for something new. A new feeling. A new adventure. Technically, I had already experienced what it felt like to live so far away from my family, home, and community. The fear of loneliness was the last thing on my mind, as I set out to live out my fantastical dreams of nomadic and ex-pat living.

The idea of living out my dreams of traveling the world on a budget, while working and earning a living from my laptop, seemed very alluring and practical.

After all, other people were doing it and raving about it. Right?

As part of my preparation, I spent countless hours binge-watching YouTube videos by other digital nomads — re-searching, preparing, and re-imagining what my life on the road would be like, and feel like.

I spent about 9 months (March to October) of 2020 preparing for this major life transition. Filing paperwork for visa requirements, budgeting for the cost of living in a foreign country, and doing all the needed stuff before taking this great leap of faith.

Armed with the enthusiasm of a 5-year-olds headed to a playground, my partner and I excitedly packed up our apartment. Sold everything we could. Gave out things to our neighbors, friends, and donated the rest to Goodwill. We downsized our lives to — about two suitcases each, two hand luggage each, and a cat (I know! I know! I was attached to the cat). With preparations made, we hit the road running!

It’s been almost a year of living this lifestyle. And I realize now that, I had successfully over-romanticized what my partner’s, and my life would feel like, hopping from place to place, living out our travel dreams out of suitcases, on a budget.

The truth is, these days many people want to quit their traditional jobs to become Digital Nomads because it is absolutely glamorized on social media.

Don’t get me wrong there are amazing sides to this journey, maybe I will write about those another day.

But for now, I’d like to focus on the harsh realities about the digital — nomad and ex-pat lifestyle I rarely hear people speak about on social media.

Some lessons from my life on the road:

1. Settling down in a new space and neighborhood, just to have to be up, and moving again sucks!

It takes time to figure out your surroundings, neighborhood, and to know where to find things when you’re new to a place. You’ll need time to figure out your ‘go-to’ spots for your groceries, the little things you need, love, and like, for eg. the best and tastiest food joints only the locals know about, the affordable restaurants, etc.…

It definitely takes more than a month, or two, or six, or more, to really get acquainted with a place, to truly have a full experience of what the place has to offer. And in the process of finding the best places, you might lose some money in some of the worst places.

2. Moving from one Airbnb or accommodation to the next can be exhausting.

Hauling all your belongings in the world from one location, to the next, gets old pretty fast. Unless you’re traveling really light, hauling bags from one place to another can become somewhat unbearable.

Keep in my mind, you can’t also always buy things to spruce up the space you live in, to make it more comfortable for you, because you’re only there for a short term. Doing that can be a waste of money, as you would need to get rid of them at some point, or, run the risk of increasing the weight of your luggage’s as you buy more.

3. Moving around so much comes with an unsettling feeling, which takes time to get used to, especially when you have to work.

Feeling unsettled is a feeling that is hard to capture in words. It feels so blah.

It’s a feeling akin to “being in-between”. Being, neither here, nor there! A feeling of not being fully present at the moment, and acclimatized to your new environment yet.

It can make you feel ungrounded, as though you are floating, not knowing where, or when landing will occur.

I’ve seen animals even experience and struggle with this. For example, my cat Moo Moo, in a new environment, needs to sniff out every corner of the place, feel it out, and then eventually, over time becomes comfortable with where her favorite places in the house are, claiming spaces where she would like to rest, and sleep, etc.

Now imagine, a human being just walking into new accommodation, in a new town/city, in a new country, and being forced to get right into work mode, in an unsettled mental, and physical state.

Yea, IT IS NOT A PLEASANT FEELING AT ALL!

4. Moving around so much can affect your work and productivity levels.

When you first move into new accommodation, in a new city, or in a new country, the last thing on your mind might be work. Especially, when you also went there to enjoy the pleasures your new setting has to offer.

In the process of figuring out a lot of things, and getting orientated with a place, the last thing you might be in the mood for, is to pull out your laptop and start working.

It takes time to find your rhythm in a new place.

U feel me?

5. Working from a laptop on a beach isn’t such a great idea.

Yea, it’s a scam. I said it!

Think about it — beach sand might get into the tiniest corners and crevices of your laptop, which trust me, you don’t want that to happen especially in a foreign country. Where you may not have apple care or readily accessible and reliable tech support on standby.

Seriously, just don’t bother with taking your laptop to the beach. The light from the sun will cast a glare on most laptop screens, making it hard to work on them in the first place.

So, take your laptop to the beach at your own risk. Unless it’s just a prop in your traditional digital nomad picture which screams “Hey guys look at me living my best digital nomad dreams of working from the beach.”

Don’t say no one ever warned you.

6. It takes time to adjust to new settings (language barrier, clothes, culture, etc.).

The first place I landed after I left the United States was the tropical paradise island of Jamaica, and even though almost everyone spoke English, and their version of the English language “Patois”. It took me about three and a half months to begin to fully and clearly understand the language spoken through their accents, local terms, and slang words.

It takes time to gain insights into the language and culture of a place and its people.

Nothing increases the depth of your knowledge of a place more than time. With time, the depths and hidden secrets of a place are revealed.

And one thing digital nomads seem to be short on in a place in time.

Time is essential in getting to know a place, its people, and its culture.

7. Not having your own home base can be extremely unsettling.

You know the saying — “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone”?

Well, I never thought that feeling would apply to me having a permanent, or semi-permanent space to call my home.

I miss the cozy warmth of the home I created for myself.

8. Finding a supportive community can be hard, as you hop from place to place. It takes time to find your people & tribe.

Sure, sometimes you can find a group of travelers, ex-pats, and other digital nomads on different social media platforms such as, Facebook groups, which can become a source of finding community.

However, it takes time to build relationships with people rooted in trust. You cannot just become friends with other people simply based on the fact that they are also travelers.

In as much as, I’ve met a lot of good, kind-hearted people on my travels, there’s also a good amount of “bad-minded” people who are looking to take advantage of new, ignorant and naïve travelers.

9. Living out of suitcases isn’t the best feeling in the world.

It is the actual G.H.E.T.T.O!

And, it gets pretty old, really fast.

I’m currently sitting and typing from a room crammed up with, half-open suitcases and bags. Just in case, I might need to dig something out from them.

10. Dealing with trust issues as a result of being taken advantage of, because of your ignorance of prices and how things may work.

Once you arrive in a new place, people can tell when you’re not a local. Locals have the tendency to over-charge you for simple and basic services like transportation etc. because they know you are ignorant of the true market prices of these services.

I remember agreeing to pay $35 for what I didn’t know was going to be less than 10 minute cab ride. I was so hurt and annoyed when I found out weeks later after acclimatizing. I felt scammed. After that experience, I became slightly paranoid, and would question, and become suspicious of prices given to me at marketplaces for simple services.

It might take a while for you to get adjusted to the fact that others may want to charge you two to three times the price for simple things, just because they can “smell” foreign currencies such as dollars, or pounds on you.

You might fall victim to this. But you will live and learn.

I truly hope this piece helped balance out expectations for all aspiring digital nomads, ex-pats, and travelers out there.

Please do share your comments, experiences, and if you can relate to some of the experiences I have shared above.

I’d love to know things you learned along your journey of traveling the world.